'Girls': Christopher Abbott quits the HBO series

Allison Williams' Marnie is bound for another season of listlessness when
"Girls" returns to HBO for Season 3.

Christopher Abbott, who plays Marnie's boyfriend Charlie on the show, has abruptly chosen to exit the series. Sources tell
Page Six that Abbott began "butting heads" with star-creator
Lena Dunham as the show entered production on its next season.

"They've just started work on Season 3, and Chris is at odds with Lena," a source said. "He didn't like the direction things are going in, which seems a bit odd since the show put him on the map."

Abbott's rep confirmed that the actor had quit: "[Chris] is grateful for the experience of collaborating with Lena,
Judd [
Apatow], and the entire 'Girls' cast and crew, but right now he's working on numerous other projects and has decided not to return to the show."

In the Season 2 finale of "Girls," which aired on March 17, saw Charlie and Marnie reunite after spending the season broken up. There's no word yet on how the show will handle the absence of the character.